Sweethearts Silenced

Summary

Cold Case Files: "Sweethearts Silenced" - Detailed Summary

Introduction to the Case

On August 9, 1980, in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, high school sweethearts Tim Haack and Kelly Drew vanished without a trace. Attending a friend's wedding reception at the Concord House, the couple intended to celebrate their union briefly before heading to a carnival. However, that night marked the beginning of a harrowing ordeal that would leave their families and the community searching for answers for decades.

Initial Investigation and Disappearance

The disappearance of Tim and Kelly sparked one of the largest manhunts in Wisconsin's history. As Detective Chad Garcia recounts, "Tim and Kelly get to the Concord house at approximately 10:30pm... and disappear into the night, never to be seen again" (00:57). Their sudden absence was uncharacteristic, raising immediate suspicions among their families and friends.

Patrick Hack, Tim’s brother, reflects on the impact of their disappearance: “Leave the next morning, get up, and get work done. Except when he got up in the morning and Tim wasn't there...” (02:28). The discovery of Tim’s unattended car and Kelly's missing presence intensified the family's concern.

Evidence and Leads

In the days following their disappearance, investigators uncovered scattered evidence, including Tim and Kelly's belongings. Susan Happ, the Jefferson County District Attorney, notes, “Over the course of 10 days, multiple pieces of clothing belonging to Kelly are found... as well as about a dozen pieces of rope with various knots tied in it” (05:44). These findings suggested a violent encounter, possibly involving sexual assault.

A critical lead emerged when a teenager discovered a pair of Kelly’s pants with cuts from ankle to waist, indicating a possible rape (05:15). Additionally, a dark, dirty van was reported near the Concord House, described as taking off "in a suspicious fashion" (07:56).

Search and Discovery of Bodies

Despite exhaustive searches by the community and law enforcement, Tim and Kelly remained missing for nearly three months. It wasn't until 72 days after their disappearance that bodies were discovered in Ixonia, Wisconsin. The male body, identified as Tim Haack, was found fully clothed with evidence of violence. Kelly Drew’s body exhibited ligature marks consistent with being bound and strangled (06:47).

Early Suspects and Lucas/Toole Misleads

In the early 1980s, attention turned to Henry Lee Lucas and Otis Toole, drifters who confessed to numerous murders across the country. Dr. Robert Shug, a forensic psychologist, explains their modus operandi resembled the Haack-Drew case. However, timelines and alibis eventually cleared them of involvement (13:25), leading investigators back to square one.

Case Goes Cold

With limited evidence and exhausted leads, the case went cold. The Hack family grappled with grief and uncertainty. Patrick Hack shares the emotional toll: “I sold the family farm... I just didn't want Tim and Kelly forgot” (14:35). For over two decades, the mystery remained unsolved, leaving families without closure.

Reopening of the Case and DNA Breakthrough

Advancements in forensic technology, particularly DNA analysis, reignited hope for solving the case. In 2006, now serving as district attorney, Susan Happ revisited the evidence. “DNA is becoming more and more popular... And that was something that wasn't available to law enforcement back in 1980” (16:26). Testing revealed seminal fluid on Kelly’s clothes, providing a crucial piece of evidence.

Identification of Edward Wayne Edwards

Investigators identified Edward Wayne Edwards as a prime suspect. Edwards, a known criminal with a history of violence and expertise in knot tying, fit the profile. His presence near the Concord House on the night of the disappearance, combined with DNA evidence, made him the focal point of the investigation (20:17).

Confrontation and Confession

Edwards was brought in for questioning in 2009. During an extensive interview, subtle cues led Detective Garcia and Susan Happ to realize Edwards was deceitful. A pivotal moment occurred when Edwards murmured, “Damn it, I killed her,” which confirmed his guilt (29:38). Faced with overwhelming evidence, Edwards ultimately pleaded guilty to the murders of Tim Haack and Kelly Drew, bringing long-awaited closure to their families (29:59).

Aftermath and Speculations on More Victims

Edwards's confession did not mark the end of the investigation. While incarcerated, he revealed a 33-year-old secret, confessing to additional murders. This revelation raised suspicions linking Edwards to other cold cases, including theories associating him with the infamous Zodiac Killer. Despite these claims, definitive connections remain unproven, leaving the true extent of Edwards's crimes uncertain (32:42).

Conclusion and Legacy

Edward Wayne Edwards passed away in 2011, still serving his sentence for the Haack-Drew murders. The resolution of this case underscores the relentless pursuit of justice by law enforcement and the enduring hope of families seeking answers. Detective Garcia reflects, “Edwards was held accountable for what he did... It really brings me some peace” (32:55). The Haack-Drew case stands as a testament to the power of perseverance and advancements in forensic science in solving even the coldest of cases.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Patrick Hack (Trusting their relationship): “They were a good couple... that they would be a couple for life” (01:57).

• Detective Chad Garcia (Early observations): “He exhibited all of the stereotypical signs of a serial killer” (00:53).

• Susan Happ (Assessing evidence): “There's a big parking lot... If you were intent on abducting somebody, all you had to do was wait” (04:18).

• Patrick Hack (Hope resurges): “I think for the first time in my life, I felt like there's a ray of hope here” (16:48).

• Susan Happ (Final realization): “Damn it, I killed her” (29:38).

• Patrick Hack (Closure): “It was over. You know, that feeling of it's over” (30:16).

Conclusion

"Sweethearts Silenced" delves deep into the tragic disappearance and eventual murder of Tim Haack and Kelly Drew. Through meticulous investigation, community effort, and advancements in forensic technology, justice was ultimately served. This episode highlights the enduring impact of cold cases on families and the unwavering dedication of those who seek the truth, no matter how long it takes.

Transcript

[Marissa Pinson]

Hi, cold case listeners. I'm Marissa Pinson, and before we get into this week's episode, I just wanted to remind you that episodes of Cold Case files, as well as the A and E classic podcasts, I Survived American justice, and City Confidential, are all available ad free on the new A and E crime and investigation channel on Apple Podcasts and Apple plus for just 4.99amonth or 39.99 a year. And now onto the show. This program contains subject matter that may be disturbing to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

[Patrick Hack]

They said the kids are going to come back. They just ran away. We knew they didn't just run away. This is one of the largest manhunts in the state of Wisconsin.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

Dave is absolutely relentless.

[Patrick Hack]

You think it should be solved? You got to blame somebody.

[Susan Happ]

We had to figure out what kind of killer we were dealing with.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

He exhibited all of the stereotypical signs of a serial killer.

[Marissa Pinson]

When an investigation runs out of leads, it becomes a cold case. Years pass, and hope fades. But for the families of the victims, these cases are never cold. The truth takes time. It's August 9, 1980, in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. High school sweethearts Tim Haack and Kelly Drew are at the wedding of a friend. The couple have plans to go to a carnival, so they don't stay long. They have a drink, then disappear into the night, never to be seen again. Patrick Hack is Tim's brother.

[Patrick Hack]

We do take this part of Wisconsin for granted. We love the sunrises and the sunsets and the planting and harvesting of crops. Some of us are lucky enough to meet our high school sweetheart and get married.

[Marissa Pinson]

Mary Mode and Dave Hack are Tim's parents.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

Tim and Kelly started dating in high school. Tim would bring Kelly out to the farm.

[Patrick Hack]

They were a good couple. I really do believe that the two of them would eventually be married, that they would be a couple for life. Tim and Kelly were gonna go to a wedding reception at the Concord house.

[Marissa Pinson]

Detective Chad Garcia investigated the case.

[Susan Happ]

Tim and Kelly get to the Concord house at approximately 10:30pm they're there for approximately half an hour, 45 minutes. Witnesses say that Tim had a beer and Kelly had a soda during the time they were there. And there are witnesses that see them.

[Patrick Hack]

Leave the next morning, get up, and get work done. Except when he got up in the morning and Tim wasn't there, instantly there was a. A level of concern. If he wasn't gonna come home, he was gonna stay with a friend. He'd call. We called Kelly's mom and said, did they stay there? She said, no, I drove up to the Concord house to look. Tim's car was still there. The door wasn't quite shut, and his wallet was still in the car. And that was not like him to do stuff like that. From there on, we finally realized Tim and Kelly are gone.

[Susan Happ]

The sheriff's department finds cigarettes, checkbook, wallet. There did not appear any sign of a struggle.

[Marissa Pinson]

Lawrence Lee was the original detective sergeant on the case.

[Patrick Hack]

They were boyfriend and girlfriend. There was some talk. I remember.

[Susan Happ]

Did they elope?

[Patrick Hack]

Did they take a bus someplace?

[Detective Chad Garcia]

Our kitchen actually became a command post.

[Susan Happ]

Dave knows that something's wrong.

[Patrick Hack]

Something has happened. We need to figure out what happened. If they had run off to Las Vegas and got married, they would have called us. They wouldn't have let us sit and worry about them.

[Susan Happ]

In the first four days, they were talking to all the employees from the Concord house. We were talking to wedding guests.

[Marissa Pinson]

Susan Happ is a Jefferson county district attorney.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

One consistent thing that was reported was that there was this dark, dirty van that had been in the parking lot. One witness specifically recalled the van taking off sort of in a suspicious fashion, in a quick way.

[Patrick Hack]

The Concord house itself was right next to the interstate.

[Susan Happ]

There's a big parking lot.

[Patrick Hack]

There's not a lot of lighting or anything out there. If you were intent on abducting somebody, all you had to do was wait.

[Susan Happ]

For the right moment.

[Patrick Hack]

We need to find the kids.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

The community stepped up. All the local farmers were there to help do some searches around the Concord house.

[Susan Happ]

They're searching vacant buildings. They're searching everywhere that they can find.

[Patrick Hack]

Everybody was involved. This is one of the largest manhunts in the state of Wisconsin. Didn't seem real. Nothing seemed real. You'd have two news helicopters landing in the field next to the house. I mean, how real is that? We checked every place we could think of. There was nothing that could lead us to them.

[Marissa Pinson]

Searches continued for six days after the disappearance before the discovery of a piece of evidence gave investigators their first clue.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

A teenager on his tractor had seen something as he was driving that caught his eye. A pair of pants just like Kelly had been wearing on the night that she disappeared. Both the left and the right leg are completely cut from the ankle all the way up to the waist. So in other words, the pants could have still been on her body, but they had been cut away.

[Patrick Hack]

It just magnified what I had thought all along, that someone had definitely raped her.

[Susan Happ]

Over the course of 10 days, multiple pieces of clothing belonging to Kelly are found along the roadway within a six mile radius of the Concord house, as well as about a dozen pieces of rope with various knots tied in it.

[Patrick Hack]

We have very good evidence now, but.

[Susan Happ]

We need Tim and Kelly.

[Marissa Pinson]

Then, 72 days after the disappearance, news comes in from Exonia, Wisconsin.

[Susan Happ]

Squirrel hunters from Milwaukee are out in the Ixonia, Wisconsin area, which is approximately seven miles from the Concord house. While they're walking through a wooded area, they stumble across a body and immediately contact law enforcement. The body was badly decomposed. It's dark out, it's nighttime. So law enforcement sets up a perimeter around this area until daylight. Approximately 100 yards away, they locate a male body that's fully clothed and appears to be the same clothing that Tim was reported to have been wearing on August 9, 1980.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

The manner of death for both of them was homicide. I had the radio on, and they announced over the radio that they had indeed found both bodies. And so I'm gonna tear up. So I remember walking in the kitchen and the detective is there with my parents telling them that they did indeed find Timmy Kelly. There were ligature marks on Kelly's ankles and wrists that were consistent with having been bound. Kelly was most possibly strangled based on damage and insect activity around the throat area. So then these pieces of rope we're finding along the roadsides become extremely significant.

[Susan Happ]

There's the regular square knot, but there's also half hitches, clove hitches, bowline knots. This is somebody with knowledge of knot tying. Somebody that's been in the navy or the military or in the trades, like a carpenter, maybe a painter. It's not going to just be your everyday person that's going to tie these types of knots. This is a tight knit community. So the phone calls are coming in, the tips are coming in.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

There's a tip that comes in from a woman who believes that her husband may have been involved in the murders of Tim and Kelly.

[Susan Happ]

This suspect, Mr. James, lived in the area where the bodies were found. He does roofing work, works with ropes. He's known to carry a knife on his belt. He has a van. And on August 10th of 1980, shortly after the disappearance of Tim and Kelly, he has his wife and stepdaughters completely clean out the van. A lot of things are adding up here. This could be the guy that took Tim and Kelly. So a search warrant is obtained to search the property to try to see if they could find anything linking Mr. James to Tim Hack and Kelly Drew.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

They retrieve clothing that is eerily similar to Kelly's shirt, both in terms of color and the way that it's Torn.

[Susan Happ]

They find ropes tied in knots. They find what could be blood.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

They transport this clothing to the crime lab for testing.

[Susan Happ]

As they're conducting a search, they received information from his wife. She said that he's an alcoholic, he's violent. He, according to his wife, had tied her up in the past. And that his wife said that her daughters, his stepdaughters, were being sexually assaulted by him. Officers took him into custody so that he could be questioned in regards to Tim and Kelly. He was questioned at length. He denied any involvement, and a polygraph or lie detector test was used on him.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

Polygraphs aren't admissible at trial, but they do give investigators at least some guidance as to whether a suspect is being truthful.

[Susan Happ]

He admits to the sexual assault of his stepdaughters, but denies any knowledge of Tim or Kelly. Denies ever meeting them, abducting them, ever being at the Concord house.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

It was the Examiner's determination that Mr. James was being truthful when he denied having any involvement in Tim and Kelly's murders.

[Susan Happ]

Mr. James ultimately is convicted of the sexual assault of his stepdaughters and sent away. However, he remains a suspect in this case.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

I know that my parents and Kelly's parents worked together on planning the funerals. They died together. They wanted him to be together eternally. Dave never let it go because Dave was always searching for justice for Tim.

[Patrick Hack]

You think it should be solved, you gotta blame somebody. We were looking at anything that was gonna help solve it.

[Marissa Pinson]

It's now June 1983, three years after the deaths of Tim and Kelly. Dr. Robert Shug is a forensic psychologist.

[Dr. Robert Shug]

Henry Lee Lucas and Otis Toole were a pair of drifters who were arrested on a number of very minor charges. After their apprehension, they started confessing to dozens and dozens of murders. As a result, detectives from all over the country now have to become involved in the investigation to see if any many of their cold cases involved Lucas or Toole.

[Susan Happ]

What led us to believe that they could be responsible was that they had abducted so many women and men, sexually assaulting them and at times, killing them. There were a total of either four or five cases in Wisconsin at that time that were unsolved. That could have been them.

[Dr. Robert Shug]

A serial killer with a drifter lifestyle can leave a trail of bodies, and no one can actually pinpoint them to be in that location at any given time. One of the murders Henry Lee Lucas confessed to was the Orange Socks Drifter. This was a young Jane Doe, unidentified, Who was found murdered wearing only Orange socks. The Orange Socks Drifter was strangled and raped Very similar to the way Kelly drew was because of the similarities in these crimes. This was a significant motivating factor for detectives to go interview Lucas and Toole.

[Patrick Hack]

There was optimism. Now it's getting serious. You just had that feeling that they were going to solve this case.

[Susan Happ]

Lucas and Toole are confessing to in excess of 300 rapes and homicides that they've done across the country.

[Dr. Robert Shug]

The reasons that Lucas and Toole might confess to all these crimes might be to gain attention. It might be important for them. Maybe it fed their egos.

[Susan Happ]

Our investigator went to interview Lucas and Toole regarding Tim and Kelly. What led investigators to believe that they could be responsible for the murder of Tim and Kelly was that they had committed two separate homicides in Wisconsin. Lucas and Toole had previously admitted to being in Wisconsin, traveling on I94, very close to where Tim and Kelly disappeared from at the Concord house. And the time frame was around the same time frame as Tim and Kelly's disappearance.

[Marissa Pinson]

In a recorded conversation, Lucas and Toole discuss the Jane Doe's location.

[Patrick Hack]

Do you know where this girl's at? I want you to admit to it. They scattered here in about 48 different states. I know, but who's going to do it if we don't? How many people did you kill? 150.

[Marissa Pinson]

Toole tells Lucas that he has killed over 150 people across 48 states.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

Investigators and the families believed that the murderer had been found and it was. All that people could talk about was that finally, we know who did it.

[Susan Happ]

Investigators established a detailed timeline and find that Lucas and Toole were in Wisconsin in September and October of 1980. However, they were not in Wisconsin in August of 1980.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

I mean, they certainly were killers, serial killers, even, but they were not involved in Tim and Kelly's murders.

[Susan Happ]

Tips aren't coming in. All the evidence that has been found has been processed, has been sent in. All the leads that have been developed have pretty much been followed up on.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

The reality was we weren't making any progress towards identifying a suspect. Eventually, the leads dry up and the case goes cold.

[Marissa Pinson]

The case remains cold for more than two decades, and the Hack family is forced to move on without their oldest son.

[Patrick Hack]

I sold the family farm. I always felt Tim would eventually take over the farm. But then after they died, it didn't really make any difference anymore because it was no longer a family farm.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

You always expected Tim and Kelly to be there to run the farm, to run the crops. Just leaves a hole.

[Patrick Hack]

When I turned 18, my parents gave me Tim's car And I still have the car. I still drive the car. I still love the car. I just didn't want Tim and Kelly forgot.

[Marissa Pinson]

Cold Case Files is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart Choice. Progressive loves to help people make smart choices. That's why they offer a tool called Auto Quote Explorer that allows you to compare your Progressive car Insurance quote with rates from other companies. So you save time on the research and can enjoy savings when you choose the best rate for you. Give it a try after this [e-mail], progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy. It's now 2006, 26 years after the murders.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

A big part of my love for the community is that it's where I grew up. That's where I'm raising my daughter now. Small towns are safe. You know, you can let your kids out at night and they can play without fear. I was 8 years old at the time Tim and Kelly went missing. So when I first was elected district attorney, I was well aware of this case and I wanted to know what happened to Tim and Kelly.

[Susan Happ]

When I got the case, it was 26 years old at that point. Knowing what a big case this was after being unsolved for so long, it immediately became my number one goal to solve this case. I reviewed thousands of pages of reports, attachments, maps, and photos, but in general, there's limited evidence I have to go with. But what I do have was Kelly's clothes at that time. DNA is becoming more and more popular.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

And that was something that wasn't available to law enforcement back in 1980.

[Susan Happ]

The clothing was submitted to the Wisconsin State Crime Lab, and they told us that they did have DNA. The DNA located on Kelly's pants and underwear was from seminal fluid. So this was a huge break in the case. This is incredible.

[Patrick Hack]

I think for the first time in my life, I felt like there's a ray of hope here.

[Susan Happ]

In looking at the maps, you could see where there were clearly three major roads that were used to dump the bodies and to dump the evidence. And so a triangle was established. At one point is where the majority of the evidence was found. At another point is the Concord house. And at the third corner would be the location where Tim and Kelly's bodies were found. So this was something somebody used to throw us off the track or this person lives or is very familiar with.

[Marissa Pinson]

This area, though he cannot know for sure. Garcia says his gut tells him someone.

[Susan Happ]

Local is responsible Media is a valuable tool for law enforcement to use. They have a huge audience and they can get people to say something normally wouldn't say, or maybe get people to feel that what they thought wasn't important is important. It had been a couple months since the news story ran, and one evening I received a phone call. It was a female who identifies herself as April. She explains to me that their family were basically drifters, that they lived in a lot of locations in the summer of 1980. They lived in the Concord area, within that triangle. She said, I think my dad could be responsible for Tim and Kelly. I think he killed them. And she said, his name is Edward Wayne Edwards. She tells me about a book that he had written that she said would explain more about her father.

[Patrick Hack]

Will the real Ed Edwards please stand up?

[Susan Happ]

Back in the early 70s, Edwards appears on numerous talk shows and game shows with this book about his life as a master criminal. In the late 60s, Edwards was on the FBI 10 Most Wanted list. He was a suspect in a double homicide in Portland, Oregon. They couldn't prove that he did it, but upon checking the criminal history of Edward Wayne Edwards, I see that he has been in prison. He has been convicted of numerous crimes to include robbery, vehicle theft, fraud, arson. He's done a lot of things and.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

He goes on the circuit talking to people about what a horrible person he had been, but what a great person he had become.

[Patrick Hack]

I met a man who was a guard at the penitentiary, and he's the one that helped me to rehabilitate.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

As I read the book, what was so interesting was he exhibited all of the classic signs of the stereotypical signs of a serial killer. He was a bad wetter. He had an affinity for starting fires. He was extremely controlling.

[Dr. Robert Shug]

For some serial killers, the need to put on a normal face to interact with members of society and have access to victims is very important. In fact, if they looked unusual or weird or bizarre, they might not get to approach victims in the way that they need to.

[Patrick Hack]

My life has certainly been anything but good. Dangerous, yes. Honest, no.

[Susan Happ]

In addition to that, Edwards daughter April had told me her dad was in the military, that he had been dishonorably discharged from the military.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

So Edwards knows how to tie these knots. And his house is smack dab in the middle of where Kelly and Tim were last seen alive and where their bodies were ultimately located. This drifter stranger who floated around, who wasn't really from Wisconsin, he wasn't from Jefferson County. We obviously have a new prime suspect.

[Susan Happ]

I start going back through the reports and seeing if there's a mention of Edward Wayne Edwards, and I had him on my suspect list. Edwards was interviewed in early September of 1980. He really didn't have a lot of information to offer. He did not know anything about Tim or Kelly's disappearance. The one thing that stuck out to me was that he had a broken nose. He said it was a deer hunting incident that caused the rifle to kick back and caused the broken nose. That seemed odd to me. Gun. Deer hunting in Wisconsin is November, not in August. Once I found out where Edwards had lived, I talked to the landlord that took care of the house. He said that Edwards lived in that house for a brief time and then moved to another state. Shortly after the disappearance of Tim and.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

Kelly, they packed up in the middle of the night during the school year.

[Dr. Robert Shug]

There are advantages to having a drifter like lifestyle. You're not accountable for your whereabouts at any given time. You don't necessarily have people tracking you and keeping up on your location. For a serial killer, it's actually quite ideal.

[Susan Happ]

The landlord also found some rope in the garage. And this rope was of similar characteristics to the rope that was found alongside the road. Edwards had a van. He kept a.357 revolver in the van. This van adds up with the van that was spotted that night. What was especially suspicious in 1980, Edward Wayne Edwards was a handyman at the Concord house. Everything was making sense. Everything was pointing towards Edwards. I think I know what happened to Tim and Kelly. Edwards was waiting in the parking lot. Kelly fit the profile. He was looking for. Tim, being a strong farm boy, got a good swing in on Edwards, causing the broken nose. And that's when Tim was stabbed. There's no telling what happened in the van, but we know that Kelly was raped and strangled to death. I need to go to Louisville, Kentucky. I need to talk to Edwards and I need to get his DNA.

[Marissa Pinson]

It's now July 31, 2009, 29 years after the murder.

[Dr. Robert Shug]

If Edwards truly was a psychopath, not having a conscience, not having empathy, not being afraid of punishment, would have made it very easy for Ed Edwards to kill again.

[Susan Happ]

I was nervous. I realized what kind of person I was dealing with. There was a high probability that Edwards committed these crimes. He is a very, very dangerous person. This was it. I was surprised with his health condition. He was in a wheelchair, on oxygen, very overweight and not in very good health. Throughout the entire time that we spoke with him, he acted very nonchalant, like it didn't matter that we were there at all.

[Dr. Robert Shug]

For some serial killers, it is a game. Given Edwards age, it might have been. This was his last opportunity to manipulate law enforcement.

[Susan Happ]

When I asked him to provide a sample of his DNA so that we could test it, he said that he had no problem doing that. He thinks he's smarter than us. After 29 years, he's thinking, what DNA are we going to have? How are we going to prove this? Turns out it's a match. At the time we take him into custody.

[Patrick Hack]

We're just waiting on those guys.

[Susan Happ]

That's tape.

[Patrick Hack]

To talk to you wife.

[Susan Happ]

Edwards is acting as though this is no big deal.

[Patrick Hack]

Oh, okay. With my wife that's being concerned. I'm joking. No, they're not. I'm joking. I'm joking. I know you are.

[Dr. Robert Shug]

So one of the traits of a psychopath is this superficial charm that they can turn on and off at will in order to do their bidding.

[Patrick Hack]

Thanks. No problem. They call you Cal. Is that what you told me? Kyle. Kyle. Thank you. Thank you.

[Susan Happ]

Myself and the DCI agent speak with Edwards. I'm willing to make a statement and answer questions. I do not want a lawyer at this time. Do you agree with that? We'll go over them again if you're not comfortable.

[Patrick Hack]

Everything's fine. Everything's fine.

[Susan Happ]

He waves his Miranda rights, and we explain a number of things showing that he is responsible for this. We're trying to get him to give us his version of events. This is your shot. I mean, this is your show. If there's anything you want to get off your chest, I'm yours. I'm here to listen to you. But unfortunately, this is your only shot. He completely denies ever killing anyone. You say that you didn't kill him.

[Patrick Hack]

I never give.

[Susan Happ]

All right. Anyone? All right, I'm gonna ask you this.

[Patrick Hack]

Then ended up slowly.

[Susan Happ]

Who did it? Throughout the eight plus hours of interviewing with Edwards, he remained calm the entire time. And he frequently would try to change topics.

[Patrick Hack]

I use two shots of insulin a day.

[Susan Happ]

He would talk about anything he could to stay away from talking about Tim and Kelly.

[Dr. Robert Shug]

His manipulating law enforcement in the interrogations is very consistent with who Ed Edwards is and had been his entire life. He lied, he manipulated, he conned.

[Patrick Hack]

You can continue. I know, I know. I think this is just a game for you. And he's right. Your DNA was there, and that's the bottom line. Wait, you're not in charge?

[Susan Happ]

He's lying to us, trying to beat us, thinking he's smarter than us. So I decide to feed into his ego. And I had his book with me, but if you wouldn't mind signing the book, would you mind doing that for me? Oh, money. I'm a police officer. I don't have any money. And he did enjoy that.

[Patrick Hack]

I'm gonna sign this as Wayne. Okay, sure.

[Susan Happ]

During the final hour or two of the interview, we asked him if he could explain the seminal fluid DNA being on Kelly's clothes.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

So then he comes up with the most unbelievable story.

[Patrick Hack]

All right. I had sex with her. You had sex with a young lady who died? Yes. Okay, that explains why. Consensual.

[Susan Happ]

Who?

[Patrick Hack]

With me? Yes. Who? Yes. Not forcible. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. It was consensual.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

Tim and Kelly were joined at the hip. Kelly Drew's not gonna go off and willingly have sex with Edwards in a cornfield. But Edwards defense attorney could have said it was consensual sex. We as prosecutors have to be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that this is the person. And the DNA was really good. But from a prosecutor's standpoint, is that strong enough?

[Susan Happ]

After conducting the interview of Edwards, which was digitally recorded, I went back to see if maybe there was something he said that I didn't pick up on. Or maybe there were certain movements he made to tell me when he was lying. As I'm watching the video, something struck me. There was a comment that he made when nobody was speaking with him, and it was myself and Detective Sergeant Brian Nunn in the room. He said something sort of under his breath.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

We probably rewound it, you know, a thousand times, trying to make sure that we heard what we heard.

[Marissa Pinson]

This is a story that begins with a dying wish.

[Patrick Hack]

One thing I would like you to do.

[Susan Happ]

My mother's last request.

[Marissa Pinson]

That my sister and I finish writing the memoir she'd started about her German childhood when her father designed a secret superweapon for Adolf Hitler. My grandfather, Robert Lesser, headed the Nazi project to build the world's first cruise missile, which terrorized millions and left a legacy that dogged my mother like a curse.

[Patrick Hack]

She had some secrets. Mom had some secrets. I'm Suzanne Rico.

[Marissa Pinson]

Join my sister and me as we search for the truth behind our grandfather's work and for the first time, face the ghosts of our past.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

Jeez.

[Patrick Hack]

Who is he?

[Marissa Pinson]

Listen to the man who Calculated Death. Available now wherever you get your podcasts.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

I can remember exactly where I was when I. When I heard that recording.

[Susan Happ]

He thought it was under his breath. Or maybe it was subconsciously that he said it, but he clearly wasn't saying it out loud. It was quietly said. And after Listening to it repeatedly and having many others listen to it repeatedly, everyone agreed that what he said is.

[Patrick Hack]

Damn it, I killed her.

[Susan Happ]

Damn it, I killed her.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

To hear him say, damn it, I killed her, it's a goosebump moment. Rarely do you have someone who's committed a double homicide actually admit what they did. And that took away any possibility that he would not be found guilty.

[Susan Happ]

We got him. We got him. We got our guy. Ultimately, he pleads guilty to killing Tim and Kelly. We don't know why he confessed. He had been playing the game of cat and mouse for many years. But I was happy to see that the two families did get closure.

[Patrick Hack]

It was over. You know, that feeling of it's over.

[Marissa Pinson]

Ed Edwards returns to Wisconsin to face justice for the murders of Tim Haack and Kelly Drew. But as his health fails, he reveals a 33 year old secret to the cold case. Detectives.

[Susan Happ]

While Edwards is in the infirmary in Wisconsin, he begins sending letters to detective in Ohio regarding two other young people that he had murdered. Billy Lavacco and Judith Straub. His goal is to return to Ohio and get the death penalty for killing them.

[Dr. Robert Shug]

Edwards wants to maintain control over his life, over his trajectory, and he will say anything and do anything when the opportunity presents itself to maintain that control.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

He's again trying to manipulate the system and control, you know, his future. But he doesn't know that there was a chunk of time that went over the Lavacco and Straub homicides where the death penalty did not apply. So once he realizes that Edwards confesses to killing his foster son, Danny.

[Patrick Hack]

I felt bad, but apparently not bad enough that I kept from doing it.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

And that's the case that is death penalty eligible. We don't generally, in prosecution circles, you know, give defendants what they want, but it's going to solve five homicides.

[Dr. Robert Shug]

Now, there are people working in law enforcement who do believe that Edwards committed many more murders than he confessed to.

[Susan Happ]

Edwards was an over the road truck driver that traveled to California in the late 60s. Because of this, some people believe Edward Wayne Edwards is the Zodiac Killer. Zodiac Killer was a serial killer who operated Northern California in 1968, 1969.

[Dr. Robert Shug]

Some of the links include the fact that Edwards was a drifter and he could have been in California at this time, the fact that Edwards killed couples, and that the Zodiac Killer also killed couples.

[Susan Happ]

Symbols that are used to sign off on the Zodiac Letters consist of 13 symbols. Edward Edwards is 13 letters, and his birth name of Charles Murray is 13 letters as well.

[Patrick Hack]

The more trouble you get into, the bigger you are this is why I was out there committing the crime was for the recognition.

[Marissa Pinson]

On April 7, 2011, Edward Wayne Edwards died of natural causes while imprisoned in Columbus, Ohio. The actual number of his victims may never be known.

[Susan Happ]

It definitely was the highlight of my career to get somebody like that, especially for the families to get this done and to put a bad, bad person behind bars.

[Detective Chad Garcia]

Edwards was held accountable for what he did and he had to admit what he had done. And I think that, you know, really brings me some peace. Tim and Kelly's death made us realize that there are terrible things in the world and you have to appreciate every day and what we have.

[Patrick Hack]

I think Tim was a son that a lot of fathers would have liked to have. And we'll never know what may have been, but we don't want Tim and Kelly forgotten.

[Dr. Robert Shug]

Stream all the movies and shows you.

[Patrick Hack]

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[Marissa Pinson]

That means drama is free.

[Dr. Robert Shug]

With heart wrenching stories from love and basketball power and Greenleaf.

[Patrick Hack]

In this family we live by the.

[Marissa Pinson]

Spirit and laughter is free.

[Dr. Robert Shug]

With gut busting comedies like Key and Peele. The Neighborhood Everybody Hates, Chris and Boomerang.

[Patrick Hack]

Watch all the hits all for free from all your favorite devices.

[Susan Happ]

Oh my God, I love it.

[Dr. Robert Shug]

Feel the free Pluto TV stream now Pay Never.

[Marissa Pinson]

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[Patrick Hack]

Thanks.

[Marissa Pinson]

Have a good one. Yep, that too. Want one place to manage all your online and in person sales? That's kind of our thing wherever you sell. Businesses that grow grow with Shopify. Sign up for your $1 a month [e-mail] Listen. Shopify.com Listen.